1 day ago
Last Updated:June 02, 2025, 12:37 IST
Russia intercepted 162 Ukrainian drones overnight, hours before Kyiv and Moscow were to start a second round of talks in Turkey.
It also came a day after Kyiv said it carried out one of its most brazen and successful attacks on Russian soil (Reuters file photo)
A day after Kyiv said it launched a massive aerial attack on Moscow, 162 drones were intercepted by Russia overnight, the Russian health ministry said on Monday. The tensions escalated a day before both the sides were expected to sit for direct talks to de-escalate the conflict which has entered into its third year.
“Air defence systems intercepted and destroyed 162 Ukrainian drones" between 1710 GMT and 2300 GMT on Sunday, news agency AFP quoted the Russia’s health ministry’s statement. The statement mentioned that majority of the drones were brought down over regions bordering Ukraine, with 57 intercepted over the Kursk region and 31 over the Belgorod region.
The Ukrainian and Russian delegations were to restart the talks in Turkey’s capital city Istanbul. This would be the second round of direct talks between the two neighbouring nations since the weeks after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
Issuing a statement on Telegram, the Ukrainian president had earlier informed that the delegation will be led by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov.
Earlier on Sunday, Kyiv said it carried out one of its most brazen and successful attacks on Russian soil, targetting dozens of strategic bombers parked at airbases deep inside Russia, thousands of kilometres behind the frontline.
Ukraine’s massive drone attack against Russia , in what is being called one of Kyiv’s largest operations to date, reportedly targetted four Russian airbases and 40 warplanes.
According to Ukrainian media reports, the operation struck airbases deep within Russian territory, including the Belaya airbase in Irkutsk Oblast, approximately 4,300 kilometers from Ukraine.
Media reports also claim that the Olenya airbase in Murmansk Oblast, about 2,000 kilometers from Ukraine, was targeted.
Several videos on X show explosions and smoke at these locations.
The former press secretary of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to X and shared a small clip of the attack, claiming that Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has carried out a large-scale drone strike, reportedly damaging over 40 Russian military aircraft.
Manisha Roy is a Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com's general desk. She comes with an experience of over 5 years in media industry. She covers politics and other hard news. She can be contacted at Manisha.Roy@nw18...Read More
Manisha Roy is a Senior Sub-Editor at News18.com's general desk. She comes with an experience of over 5 years in media industry. She covers politics and other hard news. She can be contacted at Manisha.Roy@nw18...
Read More
Moscow, Russia
First Published:News world Russia Says Shot Down 162 Ukrainian Drones Overnight
